Mike Dolce’s “Ultimate Fighter 7″ blog: Week 9
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- June
- 5
First off, allow me to apologize for not submitting last week’s blog. I love writing this piece and was personally disappointed in not being able to fulfill my weekly commitment to you and to this web site, BUT (there’s always a BUT isn’t there?) I truly have a good reason.
Really!
You see, I’m currently training in the mountains of Big Bear Lake, California with the UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion of the World, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. And, as well equipped as Big Bear is for helping athletes prepare for major sporting events, it is poorly equipped for out-of-towners who are accustomed to “fancy” cable television and even fancier high-speed Internet access. I was simply unable to watch the show until this Monday when my good friends at Spike TV were able to rush me out a copy.
Briefly, last week’s episode was pretty much just about the fights which were comprised of Team Forrest versus Team Forrest in a double feature. Dante Rivera was defeated by Jesse Taylor and Matt Brown was defeated by Amir Sadollah.
For some on Team Rampage, these fights were anti-climactic, as there was not a vested interest in the outcome. But not for me.
I was honored to be asked by both Dante and Matt to corner them for their bouts. I have said this before, but when one of your peers asks you to step into battle with them, there is no higher compliment and thus far, I have cornered every single fight on “The Ultimate Fighter 7”, even when my own “team” was not fighting. This fact makes me very proud.
Moving on to this week’s episode, what can I say?
At the risk of pissing a bunch of people off, I’m going to tell you.
Personally, I knew something was seriously wrong with this production when, as a sequestered, professional athlete in the midst of a major sporting event, I could not obtain a free range chicken breast for almost 48 hours of repeated requests, but a bottle of tequila, a half rack of beer and a funnel could be delivered in twenty minutes at any time of day or night with a single belligerent phone call. All under the guise of trying to determine just who was The Ultimate Fighter…the epitome of professional athletics.
To me The Ultimate Fighter is a term that should be reserved for a gentleman-athlete who stands above his peers, not just in his ability to perform within the confines of competition but within the confines of civility and life.
Call me an old-fashioned square but, “It is the Ul-ti-mate,” right?
That is a very definite term with no room for flaws, inside the cage or not.
Is Spike TV, TUF, the UFC or our rapidly growing fan-base really interested in finding the next great representative that can cause the most destruction to a rented home while getting drunk, pissing his pants and sacrificing his dignity?
I don’t think so.
Are they looking for a house full of socially inept, moral delinquents that couldn’t channel their mental energy into anything more meaningful than a wall mural of penises and vaginas?
What was once a ground-breaking format that introduced the world to the most exciting combat sport in history, has slowly degraded into a low-brow compilation of alcohol induced, frat boy antics that could serve to destroy the very concept it was intended to create.
I have an idea.
Take the alcohol out of the house that is supposed to be filled with the next generation of professional athletes. Fine the athletes for any destruction of property or lewd conduct, or better yet, send them home. Force the athletes to treat the set, the production and the sport with the respect it deserves and then see who makes it through.
In essence, turn this into a test of mental and physical fortitude while bringing out the best in each competitor. Do not coerce the worst
It still baffles me that I could not bring a Bible onto the set with me. Not even for fifteen minutes on a Sunday morning. But, if I wanted, I could consume as much top-shelf alcohol as I wanted, for free, twenty-four hours a day?
As a testament to that option, would you believe that some of the cast members showed up to the fights drunk? Some made it a point to get trashed just to go the weigh-ins and fight-picks? Would you even believe that some of my fellow cast members showed up to team practices too drunk to participate in any meaningful capacity other than captivating the cameras with their slurred speech and bouts of random uselessness?
Believe it friends, because it happened, often!
Funny as it might have seemed in their minds at that time, I found that type of behavior to be disrespectful. It made a mockery of the UFC and every athlete that has sacrificed so much for an outside chance of making it as a professional mixed martial artist. Privately, each showed remorse for their behavior. Unfortunately, not so much for their own self-respect, but with concern for, “How do you think that will look on TV?”
“Why the heck are these guys even here?,” I thought to myself daily.
Though, I didn’t have to think long. Most of these guys were here simply to be on television.
I must have forgotten that. I was just there to become “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Mike Dolce is a cast member of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 7”. He is also a strength coach, sports nutritionist and author of “The DOLCE Diet: Living Lean.” For more information go to his website www.MikeDolceMMA.com
This entry was posted
on Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 11:21 am by lvollmer.
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Category: Mike Dolce, sms, The Ultimate Fighter 7
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I agree with what you are saying in your post. It is still beyond me why there is still some guys showing up to be on the Ultimate Fighter, stating they want to use this as an opportunity to make it in the UFC, that it is their life and so forth but that as soon as they are in the house, they get so concerned with entertainment, pranks and alcohol.
Granted, training, cutting weight, being away from family and living with a bunch of guys you never met before isn’t always fun, but that is not the point of the show. It is not about fun, it is about showing your dedication to the sport, to serious training, to show your desire to learn from your coaches and teammates, and to have enough respect to leave each other be and show up the day of your fight, prepared and ready to give it all you got, regardless if you like your opponent or not, if you think he is good or not and so on…
Regardless if while in the house they DO have access to all the alcohol they want, I fail to see why they all reach for it. Is it so depressing to have the opportunity of a life time, that you need to get drunk to help ya get through it? While some of them may just have a clear lack of maturity, others simply wasted a spot that could have been given to another guy. One that would have trained seriously, and taken this opportunity for all it has to offer.
Matt
I think that the most recent seasons of the Ultimate fighter are getting less and less people watching because they have moved the focus from being able to see what a fighter actually is like, inside and outside the ring- to constant two fights an episode, and Dana white talking for 15 minutes of each episode so the fans cannot get to know the fighters as well. We all know what Dana White is like by now, I am getting sick of him keeping the spotlight constantly on himself.
Season three was the best because it hyped the fights, and most of the show was of how they behave in the house. Not the mention the very real rivalry between the coaches.
You can see enough of just the fighting on UFC fight nights, and pay per view events. Now the chance to see how these fighters live while not fighting is being taken away- and although I never miss an episode I can understand why a lot of people are tuning out.
That being said, I hope someone beats the crap out of Jeremy May on the finale.
Well put, Mike. Someone needed to say it, glad you had the brass to actually do it.
Rob T
I also agree -my husband got me watch the first series and from then on I was hooked. I couldn’t believe the house was trashed thats not what I want to see. I want to see who the up and coming new fighters will be in MMA. I want them to be serious atheletes. I do like to see the interaction at the house to see a little of what everyones personality is because it helps you to feel like you know them a little but with this kind of oportunity you think someone would take full advantage. I also can’t believe that you are supplied alcohol whenever you would think Dana would want his fighters to work hard as he has thrown people out for leaving, calling home etc. I think this has to get back to concentrating on letting people know a little about the fighter and the training and fighting and get rid of the crap
Mike: I’ve been following your blog all season. Great insight to what is going on in the house. I was very disappointed to see all the boozing and destruction of the house. I own a house and I know how hard it was to save up and buy my own home. I couldn’t believe the way the guys trashed it with no regard. Thanks for speaking up. I hope we get to see you on the TUF 7 finale.
Keep punching,
Los
Whine.
Mike,
From what I’ve seen on the show and read in your blog you already had my respect… this takes it to another level. Thanks for speaking up on this and for representing the best of the sport. Much love brother.
It goes without saying that you have my respect, even more so now. I had been feeling the same way about TUF for the last couple seasons, but I was extremely excited about this season when certain people got cast, but for me, its one thing to watch the guys have a fun food fight (Remember in Season 3?) instead of them dismembering the house like they did in the last episode.
The one thing with the fighters I have met, is they all have an insane amount of dedication, passion and pride for making their goals happen. Thats what got me interested in the sport in the first place.
The show, is about Dana, and what lengths people will go to to be on TV
Mike, Paix et bonnes pensées
-Bad Girl
As one of your students (Bad Girl) father .We have enjoyed watching TUF from the begining .The actual training and fighting has always great
The scenes from the house just keep degenerating into a poor mans “Animal House.
Where is the Training and Discpline that makes a good fighter?
I agree w/ ya Mike, but in the end it’s about ratings. Alcohol boosts ratings because yes lots of people actually prefer to watch guys get drunk & stupid. Myself, I wish they’d show more of the training sessions, & I like the people like Diego Sanchez, that are insanely dedicated & vigilant about maintaining their body. If you were a race car driver, would you put some nasty shit in your car’s tank? I also think the show’s goals are at odds with each other – increase ratings for the show itself (w/ stupid drunken antics), & increase awareness of and respect for the sport of MMA (self disciplined hard working athletes). But that’s for Spike & Zuffa to debate about, I suppose.
Hope to see you in the finals, Mike. You definitely represent what the sport is all about, & by all accounts are an amazing hard working athlete. In the end the sport itself will sort out the committed fighters from the idiots.
Also I certainly hope they don’t give Jeremy a fight on a national stage just because people want to see him get his ass kicked again. He doesn’t deserve it. He needs to be practicing his “Jeremy Jitsu” on kids who also get winded after 2 minutes – in small venues where are no better fights are available.
Great points. I was wondering though how you weren’t able to get a bible in when I remember matt hughes bringing a bunch of them in. I think Mac Danzig also had one on last seasons so that seems weird that they wouldn’t let you bring one.
The food thing is pretty stupid as well. I know that nutrition (for most athletes) is an integral part to being in peak shape.
As many others have stated I do appreciate your outlook on the booze and other parts of the house. I don’t agree with it and yes sometimes it can be entertaining which is what Zuffa is partly going for. It’s the same reason the real world is still on. once they figured out that 8 normal people in a house with jobs wasn’t interesting, they threw 8 beautiful into a house with more booze than the jack daniels brewery. I would like to see more about the fighters and them outside or even more training stuff. get a better sense of what your daily trainings are like. But again I know that for time constraints and episode constraints it can’t always happen.
The unfortunate part of this is that I think a lot of these new athletes are just like many other athletes that are skilled but just aren’t mentally prepared as you mentioned. Like Kids going to the NBA and throwing their money away or young NFL players that get into trouble, some of the guys on this show just aren’t quite there yet. We all know that you are and I’m glad to hear that you weren’t partaking in it. I could specifically see your disdain in one shot while you walked past the wrekage. BUT then again you’re now helping out with prepping the Light Heavyweight champion for his next fight. Hard work still pays off and its great to see it for you. Good luck.
I think you make a lot of good points in this post and you show courage in speaking your mind. It’s also a shame that guys would waste their time there and show up to practice and fights drunk. That’s kind of a spit in the face to other guys, especially guys who would give up everything to be there.
Now I’m not justifying the drunken melee that took place but I kind of understand it. I work on ships and have been confined to areas for weeks/months at a time surrounded by people with no privacy, little activity and plenty of booze. I have come to this equation:
Guys + Booze + no activity + no girls = some sort of destrucition.
I have to ask this what is wrong with May. Obviously I don’t know him, but from reading your posts and other cast member posts they all have seemed to have given him plenty of chances while end up still getting frustrated with him. And from what they showed on him he has no class in winning (talking trash on the first episode to Rampage after he beat his best friend) in losing (making excuses and saying “9 times out of 10 he would have beaten him) And he’s obviously a shitty roommate and a shitty teammate (when he made his comment to riddle after his loss)
I agree with what your saying about what an ultimate fighter should be, BUT, the main focus of the show is to get people to watch. Honestly they attract a larger audience by putting idiots on the show doing idiotic things. Sad to say but it does make great television.
Thanks for commenting, readers. I think the TUF format is becoming a little stale. By now, we know the house is going to get trashed and there is going to be boozing, confrontation, etc.
I’d like to see more of the fighters personality. I know Dana is rewarding the winning fighters with at least a 5K purse, but I’d like to see it switched up a bit.
I really enjoyed the show “The Contender” – the first season anyway. If a fighter won, then his team was treated to a night out in Vegas at certain venues. We got to see a lot of their personality, and it was nice to see some of these guys who had little to nothing get a taste of the good life.
I think these types of rewards brings the team format to a new level; we all know that the guys will be fighting each other eventually so the whole team thing doesn’t feel like it means much anymore. Something like this may add a new dynamic.
Just my two cents.
Mike,
It is a pleasure to work an athlete such as yourself , you are an inspiration to many young fighters. Thank you for showing the proper way to conduct oneself, especially in a society relatively void of people trying to live life the right way. We’ll see you back in Portland, it was fun watching you this season. Chin down, hands up, right?
Dr. Dwight Reid DC
Bridgetownchiropractic.com
Mike – thanks for your insight on the show. I got hooked on The Ultimate Fighter because of the heart the guys have shown over the past seasons. But I never understood the need to destroy a nice house out of boredom – it’s actually annoying to watch. My friend has tried to explain to me that it’s “a guy thing”, but those aren’t the kind of guys I admire. Somewhere along the way, the focus of the show became to recreate the Leben vs. Koscheck vs. Southworth (is that his name??) fight from Season 1. I like watching the guys train and prepare – your drive and motivation to be the best is something I envy. So to see them acting like any guy at a sport’s bar just doesn’t cut it for me.
I think the u.f.c is ultamately the best sport availble so I think they should all try VERVE you to tuff girl
hope to help you drink healthly
Agreed, Mike. That’s why I DVR the show and FF through everything except the fights. In large part because of the things you mention, other than the fights, the show itself is a waste of time.
I couldn’t agree more with you. I have felt the same way since the first year. I want to see professionals, not a bunch of drunken morons. The guys at the top of the sport (the GSP, Hughes, Couture, etc.) are classy. The UFC series just reinforces some people’s negative opinion of the sport, and shows what the owners are willing to do to sell their sport. “Disgusting!”.